The Miracle(s) of the Plagues (Bo)
One day the Pharoah awoke in his bed, there were frogs on his pillow and frogs on his bed. Frogs on his nose and frogs…
Dreaming & Living; Joseph & Mandela (Vayigash)
Our rabbis point to this week’s Torah portion, Vayigash, as a central story of t’suvah. Many years earlier, Joseph’s brothers sold Joseph into slavery. They…
I Will Not Let You Go Until You Bless Me (Vayigash)
In this portion, Jacob does tsuvah. Earlier, he and his mother conspired so that his dying father Isaac would bestow a blessing upon Jacob instead…
75th Commemoration of Kristallnacht (Vayetzei)
This morning, many of my colleagues and friends were commenting on an article in the New York Times. It was the front page of the…
Is Halloween “Traif” or “Treat?”
How many people here love Halloween? I do. As a kid, my mom and I would carve pumpkins and then make pumpkin seeds with lots…
Drawing Near to God (Vayera)
Abraham got circumcised when he was 99, in this Torah portion. His changed name of Avraham highlights the importance of the sacred covenant between himself…
Journeys are not only Geographical (Lech L’cha)
I want to talk about Geography. Immediately after Adam and Eve eat from the forbidden fruit, they hear the sound of God walking in the…
The Comfort of Noah (Noach)
(singing) God said to Noah, we’re going to build an arky arky God said to Noah we’re going to build an arky arky. Build it…
Superman Spends a Lot of Time Being Clark Kent (Yom Kippur Morning 5774)
I was so excited to see the new Superman movie, Man of Steel. A friend and I went to the new movie theatre next to Lowe’s, found ourselves seats that weren’t too close to the screen … weren’t too far back … and perfectly placed for optimum surround sound.
Life is a Pre-Existing Condition (Yom Kippur Evening 5774)
Life is a pre-existing condition.
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Back in High School, I read Ovid’s great work of Greek mythology, The Illiad. I devoured the epic poem of Odysseus and his adventures with the pantheon of Greek gods. The stories are rich and complex, full of drama and magic, and ripe for metaphor.